GEN 41

Genesis 41:5

WEB

He slept and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, healthy and good.

BSB

but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.

KJV

And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–8

Genesis 41:1–8

Observe, 1. The delay of Joseph's enlargement. It was not till the end of two full years (Gen 41:1); so long he waited after he had entrusted the chief butler with his case and began to have some prospect of relief. Note, We have need of patience, not only bearing, but waiting, patience. Joseph lay in prison until the time that his word came, Psa 105:19. There is a time set for the deliverance of God's people; that time will come, though it seem to tarry; and, when it comes, it will appear to have been the best time, and therefore we ought to wait for it (Hab 2:3), and not think two full years too long to continue waiting. 2. The means of Joseph's enlargement, which were Pharaoh's dreams, here related. If we were to look upon them as ordinary dreams, we might observe from them the follies and absurdities of a roving working fancy, how it represents to itself tame cows as beasts of prey (nay, more ravenous than any, eating up those of their own kind), and ears of corn as devouring one another. Surely in the multitude of dreams, nay, even in one dream, there are divers vanities, Ecc 5:7. Now that God no longer speaks to us in that way, I think it is no matter how little we either heed them or tell them. Foolish dreams related can make no better than foolish talk. But these dreams which Pharaoh dreamed carried their own evidence with them that they were sent of God; and therefore, when he awoke, his spirit was troubled, Gen 41:8. It cannot but put us into a concern to receive any extraordinary message from heaven, because we are conscious to ourselves that we have no reason to expect any good tidings thence. His magicians were puzzled, the rules of their art failed them: these dreams of Pharaoh, it seems, did not fall within the compass of them, so that they could not offer at the interpretation of them. This was to make Joseph's performance by the Spirit of God the more admirable. Human reason, prudence, and foresight, must be nonplussed, that divine revelation may appear the more glorious in the contrivance of our redemption, Co1 2:13, Co1 2:14. Compare with this story, Dan 2:27; Dan 4:7; Dan 5:8. Joseph's own dreams were the occasion of his troubles, and now Pharaoh's dreams were the occasion of his enlargement.

Cross-references: Gen 41:1 · Ps 105:19 · Hab 2:3 · Eccl 5:7 · Gen 41:8 · 1Cor 2:13 · 1Cor 2:14 · Dan 2:27 · Dan 4:7 · Dan 5:8

Hebrew interlinear

H3462

יָשֵׁןyâshên/yaw-shane'/

v — be slack, languid, sleep, die, grow old, stale, inveterate

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to be slack or languid, i.e. (by implication) sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale or inveterate

KJV: old (store), remain long, (make to) sleep.

יָשֵׁן

vb — sleep

[יָשֵׁן] vb. sleep

Qal sleep, go to sleep, and be sleep

Niph. only in deriv. sense of become inactive or stationary

Pi. causat. she made him sleep

H2492

חָלַםchâlam/khaw-lam'/

v — bind firmly, be, make, plump, dream

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to bind firmly, i.e. (by implication) to be (causatively to make) plump; also (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream

KJV: (cause to) dream(-er), be in good liking, recover.

חָלַם

vb — be healthy

[חָלַם] vb. be healthy, strong

Qal their young are healthy

Hiph. and restore me to health

חָלַם

vb — dream

חָלַם vb. dream

Qal dream

Hiph. dream

H8145

שֵׁנִיshênîy/shay-nee'/

n — double, second, again

Derivation: from 8138;

properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially, again

KJV: again, either (of them), (an-) other, second (time).

שֵׁנִי

m — second

שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. 157 adj.num.ord. second

H2009

הִנֵּהhinnêh/hin-nay'/

dp — lo!

Derivation: prolongation for 2005;

lo!

KJV: behold, lo, see.

הִנֵּה

demonstr.part — lo!

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

H7651

שֶׁבַעshebaʻ/sheh'-bah/

n — seven, full, seven times, week, indefinite

Derivation: or (masculine) (שִׁבְעָה); from 7650; a primitive cardinal number;

seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number

KJV: ( by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.

שֶׁ֫בַע

n.m — seven

שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven

H7641

שִׁבֹּלshibbôl/shib-bole/

n-f — stream, ear of grain, branch

Derivation: or (feminine) שִׁבֹּלֶת; from the same as 7640;

a stream (as flowing); also an ear of grain (as growing out); by analogy, a branch

KJV: branch, channel, ear (of corn), (water-)flood, Shibboleth. Compare 5451.

שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת

n.f — ear

שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת n.f. ear of grain

שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת

n.f — flowing stream

שִׁבֹּ֫לֶת n.f. flowing stream

H5927

עָלָהʻâlâh/aw-law'/

v — ascend, high, mount

Derivation: a primitive root;

to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative

KJV: arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, × mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.

עָלָה

vb — go up

עָלָה 890 vb. go up, ascend, climb

Qal

1. of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

2. go up, in personal relations

3. of animals, go or come up

4. of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

5. of natural phenom., go up, rise

6. of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

7. of thoughts

8. come up before God, arrogance

9. go up, extend, of boundary

10. excel

Niph.

1.

a. be brought up

b. be taken up

c.

(1). pass., be taken up, away

(2). reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

2. reflex.: take oneself away

3. be exalted, of God

Hiph.

1. bring up persons

2. in personal relations

3. bring up animals

4. cause to ascend

5. mentally

6. offer a present; bring up tithe to

7. exalt

8. cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

Hoph.

1. be carried away

2. be taken up into, inserted in

3. be offered

Hithp. lift oneself

H7070

קָנֶהqâneh/kaw-neh'/

n-m — reed, erect, rod, shaft, tube, stem, radius, beam

Derivation: from 7069;

a reed (as erect); by resemblance a rod (especially for measuring), shaft, tube, stem, the radius (of the arm), beam (of a steelyard)

KJV: balance, bone, branch, calamus, cane, reed, × spearman, stalk.

קָנֶה

n.m — stalk

קָנֶה 62 n.m. stalk, reed

1. stalk of grain

2. water-plant, reed

3. calamus, aromatic reed

4. derived meanings:

a. measuring-rod

b. unit of measure, reed (of 6 cubits)

c. beam of scales, for scales themselves

d. shaft of lamp-stand

e. branches thereof

f. shoulder-joint

H259

אֶחָדʼechâd/ekh-awd'/

a — united, one, first

Derivation: a numeral from 258;

properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first

KJV: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,

אֶחָד

adj.num — one

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

1. one

2. = each, every

3. = a certain

4. = indef. art.

5. only, & (fem.) once

6. oneanother, onethe other

7. as ordinal first

8. in combin.

H1277

בָּרִיאbârîyʼ/baw-ree'/

a — fatted, plump

Derivation: from 1254 (in the sense of 1262);

fatted or plump

KJV: fat ((fleshed), -ter), fed, firm, plenteous, rank.

בָּרִיא

adj — fat

בָּרִיא adj. fat

H2896

טוֹבṭôwb/tobe/

a n-m n-f — good

Derivation: from 2895;

good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

KJV: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, × fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, × most, pleasant, pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured).

טוֹב

n.m — a good thing

טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare

1. welfare, prosperity, happiness

2. good things

3. good = benefit

4. moral good

טוֹב

adj — pleasant

טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good

1. pleasant, agreeable to the senses

2. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

3. good, excellent, of its kind

4. good, rich, valuable in estimation

5. good, appropriate, becoming

6. c. מִן compar. = better

7. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

8. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

9. good, kind, benign

10. good (ethical), right

טוֹבָה

n.f — welfare

טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good

1. welfare, prosperity, happiness

2. good things

3. bounty, good

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